AUSTIN, Texas - August 23rd, 2012 - There comes a point in every man's life when he has to say, "Enough is enough." For me, that time is now. I have been dealing with claims that I cheated and had an unfair advantage in winning my seven Tours since 1999. Over the past three years, I have been subjected to a two-year federal criminal investigation followed by Travis Tygart's unconstitutional witch hunt. The toll this has taken on my family, and my work for our foundation and on me leads me to where I am today  finished with this nonsense.

I had hoped that a federal court would stop USADAs charade. Although the court was sympathetic to my concerns and recognized the many improprieties and deficiencies in USADAs motives, its conduct, and its process, the court ultimately decided that it could not intervene.

If I thought for one moment that by participating in USADAs process, I could confront these allegations in a fair setting and  once and for all  put these charges to rest, I would jump at the chance. But I refuse to participate in a process that is so one-sided and unfair. Regardless of what Travis Tygart says, there is zero physical evidence to support his outlandish and heinous claims. The only physical evidence here is the hundreds of controls I have passed with flying colors. I made myself available around the clock and around the world. In-competition. Out of competition. Blood. Urine. Whatever they asked for I provided. What is the point of all this testing if, in the end, USADA will not stand by it?

From the beginning, however, this investigation has not been about learning the truth or cleaning up cycling, but about punishing me at all costs. I am a retired cyclist, yet USADA has lodged charges over 17 years old despite its own 8-year limitation. As respected organizations such as UCI and USA Cycling have made clear, USADA lacks jurisdiction even to bring these charges. The international bodies governing cycling have ordered USADA to stop, have given notice that no one should participate in USADAs improper proceedings, and have made it clear the pronouncements by USADA that it has banned people for life or stripped them of their accomplishments are made without authority. And as many others, including USADAs own arbitrators, have found, there is nothing even remotely fair about its process.

USADA has broken the law, turned its back on its own rules, and stiff-armed those who have tried to persuade USADA to honor its obligations. At every turn, USADA has played the role of a bully, threatening everyone in its way and challenging the good faith of anyone who questions its motives or its methods, all at U.S. taxpayers expense. For the last two months, USADA has endlessly repeated the mantra that there should be a single set of rules, applicable to all, but they have arrogantly refused to practice what they preach. On top of all that, USADA has allegedly made deals with other riders that circumvent their own rules as long as they said I cheated. Many of those riders continue to race today.

The bottom line is I played by the rules that were put in place by the UCI, WADA and USADA when I raced. The idea that athletes can be convicted today without positive A and B samples, under the same rules and procedures that apply to athletes with positive tests, perverts the system and creates a process where any begrudged ex-teammate can open a USADA case out of spite or for personal gain or a cheating cyclist can cut a sweetheart deal for themselves. Its an unfair approach, applied selectively, in opposition to all the rules. Its just not right.

USADA cannot assert control of a professional international sport and attempt to strip my seven Tour de France titles. I know who won those seven Tours, my teammates know who won those seven Tours, and everyone I competed against knows who won those seven Tours. We all raced together. For three weeks over the same roads, the same mountains, and against all the weather and elements that we had to confront. There were no shortcuts, there was no special treatment. The same courses, the same rules. The toughest event in the world where the strongest man wins. Nobody can ever change that. Especially not Travis Tygart.

Today I turn the page. I will no longer address this issue, regardless of the circumstances. I will commit myself to the work I began before ever winning a single Tour de France title: serving people and families affected by cancer, especially those in underserved communities. This October, my Foundation will celebrate 15 years of service to cancer survivors and the milestone of raising nearly $500 million. We have a lot of work to do and I'm looking forward to an end to this pointless distraction. I have a responsibility to all those who have stepped forward to devote their time and energy to the cancer cause. I will not stop fighting for that mission. Going forward, I am going to devote myself to raising my five beautiful (and energetic) kids, fighting cancer, and attempting to be the fittest 40-year old on the planet.

One of the USADA review panel members selected by Tygart to consider anonymous testimony against Lance Armstrong, Minneapolis attorney Clark Calvin Griffith, in June 2012 entered an Alford plea on the misdemeanor charge of indecent exposure for exposing his genitalia to a William Mitchell College of Law female student on a street in St. Paul, Minnesota in January 2012. Griffith was sentenced to sex offender counseling in July 2012

4
posted on 08/23/2012 10:29:00 PM PDT
by Flightdeck
(If you hear me yell "Eject, Eject, Eject!" the last two will be echos...)

Just like Harry Reid knows and has witnesses that prove Mitt Romney didn’t file taxes for 10 years? Everyone who says Lance cheated needs to put up or shut up. The entire basis of the judicial system in this country is innocent until proven guilty. The founders ( and everyone else) knows you cannot prove a negative, and you cannot defend yourself endlessly against the same nebulous charges brought time and time again

Some people dont like Lance. I get that. I don’t know him personally and don’t have an opinion on that. But I have a real problem with witch hunts. our entire juatice system is at risk if anyone can be railroaded in this fashion. The government can get 10’of your neighbors to say you are running a prostitution ring out of your house. They can produce no prostitutes or customers, but dare you to prove you are not. After you succesdully defend yourself 10 times they bring the charges an 11th time.... Now how do u like the system??? Or they accuse you of treason and summarilynexecute you on the same evidence.....Now do you see the danger???

Let's see....an anonymous poster that signed up a few days ago who makes claims of cheating against someone but offers no evidence these assertions are true or that they acually did ride with the winner.

I think that pretty well sums it up.

18
posted on 08/24/2012 12:02:01 AM PDT
by count-your-change
(You don't have to be brilliant, not being stupid is enough.)

Answer: Mr. Armstrong has described himself as "middle to left". He's pro-choice, "not keen on guns", against the Iraq war, and for separation of church and state. By standards of his home state of Texas, he would be considered a Democrat.

I don't have much sympathy for Democrats who allowed these tribunals to be created and then get burned by them.

BTW-I'm not convinced that he didn't use steroids. Just because he never got caught isn't a good indicator. That being said, trying to police drug use in sports is crazy and will never lead to "fairness". Just ask Lance.

I dont know what he did or didnt do, but I do believe there should be a statute of limitations on this sort of thing.

There is a statute of limitations - 8 years if I am not mistaken - but USADA decided to go with 2 year old blood tests, that had not resulted in LA's suspension (ie "clean"), and witness statements (as far as we know) relating to (purported) incidents +10 years back. I can understand why LA used the epithet "star chamber" to characterize the USADA.

21
posted on 08/24/2012 1:18:10 AM PDT
by ScaniaBoy
(Part of the Right Wing Research & Attack Machine)

All top cyclists do drugs, and they all know it. That’s why they don’t condemn each other. I had a friend who was in the game, minor player, who told me about it.they all know and they don’t really care, it’s part of the business. Other than bodybuilders, they are the most juiced sport out there.

Bud.. You have no idea who you are talking to. I KNOW Lance Armstrong! I’ve ridden alongside of him in the peloton! I can tell you with 100% certainty, he’s a cheater.
______________________
How do you propose to prove that you a) rode alongside him and b) he’s a cheater?

You can’t just fling accusations around and then not respond to any posts asking for further information.

24
posted on 08/24/2012 2:24:31 AM PDT
by leapfrog0202
("the American presidency is not supposed to be a journey of personal discovery" Sarah Palin)

Why is the government involved in the regulation of sports at all? It is the responsibility of the private organization organizing the sport to set, administer and enforce the rules. if they do a poor job the public will over time lose confidence in the sport and move on to something else. This is a huge waste of taxpayer money.

That was kind of off-topic, but I have to say that the wanna-be Lance phenomenon is alive and well in my area - tons of 30 and 40 something dudes riding along highway shoulders in skintight shorts and yellow Tour de France leader jerseys.

Why do they all wear TdF leader jerseys every time they ride? it would be as if every time I went to play a pickup football game I told my buddies: "Wait up a sec - I have to put on my imitation Superbowl ring first!"

Bud.. You have no idea who you are talking to. I KNOW Lance Armstrong! Ive ridden alongside of him in the peloton! I can tell you with 100% certainty, hes a cheater.
............................................................
Because you were cheating too?

How else could you stay beside him?

Finding someone guilty because he is tired of defending himself year after year is BS.

Well then, the two of you can do all of us who drive cars and trucks a huge favor by advising the Lance Armstrong wannabes out there to get the hell off the main roads. I am quite sure that because of their penchant for the rest of us to share the road with them, auto insurance is more expensive.

For all the years he was winning he was contiually tested and the authorities found nothing. Now after all these years they find something and strip him of his titles. Well, you can bet your bottom dollar had he been French he would have have been a modern day hero. Screw the French, Armstrong is a sports hero.

I am primarily a recreational, fitness, greenway kind of rider, but I try to wear brightly colored shirts, especially bright yellow, when I will be around cars. Visibility matters. That may not be the primary reason for some, but it is a valid one.

You can tell I'm not a wannabe pro because I call them "shirts." :)

47
posted on 08/24/2012 6:06:38 AM PDT
by TN4Liberty
(My tagline disappeared so this is my new one.)

EXACTLY what I was thinking!!! All these folks who decided to “open up” after forever just gave this government wonk work to do!!!!!!!

I’ve met Lance and worked for a guy who knew him well. I’m not going to partake on the drug issue as I don’t know what is and what is not permitted. But, this I do know, he’s an honorable man with his foundation and what he has done to brighten days of cancer patients is something not many “famous” people take time to do. Yes, I do wish he’d see the light and go a bit right but he lives here in Austin! Maybe this will cause him to see the right!!

Perhaps now that he has been metaphorically mugged maybe he will change his political views?

My question is, is he also under a current or had a recent IRS audit?

It looks like destroying American Exceptionalism has no bounds.

He is "Going Galt" in his own way, Kudos to him in telling a Federal Agency politely up yours, I am not playing your game anymore,

He is not surrendering his power to them anymore, who do they go after now? They at least have to cease and desist on Lance...

As someone who dabbed in owning some sweet bikes and riding and used to follow the sport, I am not sure all the detractors here know that he is literally a mutant.

They have done test on his lungs and heart and he has a 30% advantage if not more the rest of us because both organ systems are bigger and not in a bad way. Maybe they just can't get over that sometimes you are born with it.

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